Once they were the stuff of science fiction, but almost out of nowhere, self-driving cars have become a reality. Experts suggest that driverless cars will appear on our roads within five to twenty years, and Uber has already piloted a self-driving car program in select cities. Driverless cars are undoubtedly cool, but are they safe? Why do we need self-driving cars? Is it a case of technology creating a "need," or will they actually provide a benefit to society? This fascinating and timely volume offers a diverse array of perspectives written by experts on this twenty-first-century subject-- Provided by publisher.

Are self-driving cars safe? -- Autonomous vehicles can reduce the amount of teen traffic accidents / Allison Crow -- Tesla's autopilot isn't fully safe just yet / Joan Lowy and Tom Krisher -- Self-driving cars can be hacked / Siraj Ahmed Shaikh and Madeline Cheah -- Autonomous cars may lead to vehicle sharing / Ben Schonberger and Steve Gutmann -- Self-driving cars can be both positive and negative for the environment / Carolyn Beeler -- Do self-driving cars benefit society? -- Self-driving cars will ease congestion and parking / Ian Adams -- Self-driving cars could lead to increased congestion in cities / Jarrett Walker -- How self-driving cars can benefit the environment / Roddy Scheer -- Autonomous cars will result in job loss / Joel Lee -- Self-driving cars will increase fuel efficiency / Tao Lin -- Self-driving cars can serve as valuable data collectors for many industries / Peter Wells -- Will self-driving cars become the norm in the next ten years? Self-driving cars will soon become more common / Philip E. Ross -- Fully autonomous cars are a long way off / Jarrett Walker -- Will autonomous cars result in utopia or dystopia? / Phil McKenna -- Nontechnical challenges could prevent self-driving cars from taking off / Jon Walker -- Facts about self-driving cars -- Organizations to contact -- For further reading.